258 
DESERTED HOUSES. 
7, 8 Aug. 
Good Hope. The predominating rock was a sandstone, and the 
soil exhibited evident appearances of a ferriigineous nature. The 
marks of much rain having lately fallen here, were observable : but 
the thunder showers which water this district, fall very locally, and 
are uncertain in their course ; so that it happens that some spots do 
not receive the rains till late in the season, while others are very 
early ; and as it is on this circumstance that vegetation entirely 
depends, the time of its recurrence cannot be known with any 
precision.* 
The Hottentots reported having seen Quakkas f ; and, expecting 
soon to fall in with abundance of large game, began to get their 
muskets and powder-horns in readiness. I saw, with my glass, a 
solitary female ostrich, as it was feeding amongst the low shrubs, but 
this bird had not, any where in our journey hitherto, been seen in 
great numbers. 
At sunset, we arrived at Jakhals Fontein (Jackals' Fountain), and 
took up our quarters for the night in an uninhabited farm-house. 
It has been already mentioned, that the colonists of the Roggeveld 
quit their houses during the winter to reside in the Karro. On these 
occasions, they carry with them all their furniture, and every thing 
that is moveable ; giving themselves no concern about the late of 
their house, which they entirely desert and leave even unfastened. In 
these, a traveller may always take shelter, and, whenever we came to 
one at the end of a day's journey, my men took advantage of it ; 
but for myself, it was thought more prudent to remain in the waggon 
to watch over the property it contained, and to protect it from the 
depredation of runaway slaves or vagabond Hottentots. 
The next day we crossed the beds of several rivers, now 
completely dried up, the largest of which was Rhenoster (or 
On this day were found — 
Helioph ila seselijblia. Catal. Geog. 1318. Senecio 
Trichonema. 2 species.. Ptcronia, and a genus allied to Biich- 
Arctotis. 3 species. naa. 
■\ Equus Quagga. 
